Sunburn Natural Prevention and Treatment

Learn how to reduce sunburn, skin damage, and even treat sunburns with natural approaches.

What's up with Sunscreens? Are they safe?

Sunscreens applied to the skin have come under scrutiny recently. The chemicals in sunscreens appear to damage coral reefs so Hawaii has banned their use. Regular sunscreen uses reduce sunburns but regular long term use may be associated with hormone imbalance in the body while another study found pregnancy issues of low birth weight of daughters. Yet another study by George Washington University found sunscreens do not protect the skin from melanoma cancer.

Here's what you can do instead:

1. Cover Up

Wear a broad rim hat, long pants and long sleeves to help block the burning sun. The hat, pants and long sleeves can actually help you feel cooler compared to direct sun on the skin. There’s a reason why cowboys and farmers wore hats, long pants and long sleeves. I don’t remember seeing any paintings or pictures of cowboys in shorts, sandals and tank tops.

2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Fish oil omega-3 fatty acids help prevent damage to the skin. Medical research by the University of Manchester, UK found omega-3 fatty acid supplementation reduced damage to skin and the DNA in the skin. The researchers believe long term use may reduce the risk of skin cancer.

3. D3 K2

Vitamin D3 in the body reduces damage to the skin and the DNA in skin cells. Vitamin D3 inhibits skin tumor develop. Numerous medical animal studies show vitamin D3 reduces skin sunburn damage. You should adjust your vitamin D3 dose based on your blood test. 65-75 is believed to be an optimal D3 blood level. You can order your vitamin D3 blood test here. Vitamin K2 has not been studied specifically for sunburn but does have research supporting it’s use in cancer and skin cancer treatments.

4. Allernyl

Antioxidants repair cells in your body. The antioxidants vitamin C, quercetin, rutin, and N-Acetyl-l-Cysteine found in Allernyl have medical research supporting their use to reduce the sun burn damage to skin.

Sunburn Treatment

The following natural sunburn treatment products should be used immediately after sunburn exposure.

The University of California and Cleveland Medical Center in separate medical studies found high dose vitamin D3 given orally after experimentally induced sun burn reduced inflammation in the skin.

Anti-oxidants help heal sun damage skin. Brew tea, green tea is best, and let it cool. Place the towel in the tea, wring out the excess liquid and place the damp towel on burnt skin. The evaporation of the water provides a cooling sensation while the antioxidants in the tea will help repair the skin.

Natural Products

Vital EPA/DHA 1300 CA D3 K2AllerNyl

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information in the Feel Better blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health program.